Disk refiners are used in the paper manufacturing industry to prepare the cellulosic fibers of a paper pulp into a desired condition prior to delivery of the pulp to a paper making machine. In operation, a disk refiner is generally considered to exert a species of abrading action upon individual fibers in a pulp mass with the result that the side outermost layers of the individual, cigar-shaped fibers are frayed, thereby increasing the surface area of the fiber greatly. The operation of a disk refiner is also generally considered to cause a rapid and frequent flexure over a brief time period of the individual fibers in a pulp mass with the result that the bond between the various concentric lamellae comprising an individual fiber are broken down or delaminated to a controlled, desired extent. The various actions of a disk refiner are accomplished in normal operation without significantly reducing the length or individual strength of the fibers.
The disk members conventionally heretofore used in a disk refiner have a working surface on one face thereof, and the disk member is secured to a backing head member by bolts or the like which mount through apertures formed transversely through the disk member. The working surface, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, can have a wide variety of configurations or styles, usually involving a plurality of raised, rib-like projections. In operation, these projections, and other portions of a working surface are gradually abraded away, so that it is periodically necessary to shut down a disk refiner and replace the disks used therein.
There is a strong need in the art for disk members which have a longer duty life so as to reduce the costs of operation and maintenance of a disk refiner without adversely affecting the operating performance characteristics of a disk refiner.